The Sum of Everything
by Frog Princess
Summary: Chloe and Lex are married, but there are problems in the marriage. The story of how Lex becomes evil.
1. The Beginning of the End

Title: The Sum of Everything  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: The WB and a bunch of other rich lucky people own Smallville and Superman. I am making no money with this. Please don't sue me; I'm a broke college student and my mom would kill me! I wish I owned Lex.  
  
Spoilers: Eh. None really. I might mention stuff from the episodes later on, so let's just say spoilers for everything that has been shown in the USA.  
  
Summary: Basically, Lex and Chloe have married, have two kids, and there are problems in the marriage. This is basically the story of how Lex turns completely evil.  
  
Author's Notes: This is set 8-9 years after Clark, Chloe, Pete, and Lana graduate high school. The later chapters will have flashbacks that detail some of the more important events in Chloe and Lex's relationship. I realize the title is a little odd, but basically it means that when you add up everything that happens in the story you get exactly what it is that will turn Lex Luthor into a villain. Please, oh please, review.  
  
Email: stdrmf15@shsu.edu  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You can't stay, Chloe."  
  
"He's my husband Clark! You just want me to walk away from my life with him? What about the twins, huh? What about them? They won't understand why they can't live with their father anymore."  
  
"Damn it Chloe, he's dangerous! He isn't the man you married, and you know it!" Clark Kent's yelled back at his old friend.  
  
Chloe looked away from Clark to the Christmas tree sitting in the corner of the beautifully decorated room. The family room. What kind of family has priceless art pieces and valuables in the room where two five- year-old boys play? Chloe thought to herself.  
  
"Where would I stay?" Chloe's voice was no longer loud and angry, "I can't stay at the mansion or with my dad. That's the first place he would look."  
  
"You can stay with my parents. They'd love to have kids in the house again. Or Pete and Lana. She's pregnant with their first kid now, I'm sure she'd like to have someone nearby that has been through all of that pregnancy stuff." Clark sat down on the sofa next to Chloe. He took her hands into his and pulled her close to him. She started crying.  
  
"I don't understand what happened to him, Clark." Chloe said between sobs, "I just don't understand! He was always so kind and loving and gentle and... everything." My bald knight in silk Armani suits.  
  
"Power is what happened to him, Chlo. Power, pure and simple." Clark hesitated and hugged her. "The people he associates with now...they're dangerous criminals. He's going to get himself in trouble and he's put you and the kids in danger. He's dangerous to you and the kids, Chloe. You said that he hasn't ever hurt you, but with his temper..."  
  
Chloe pulled away from Clark; her eyes were flashing with anger. "He would never hurt us! He's always protected us! He loves me and the twins, Clark! Sure, he's always had a short temper, but he would never do anything that would cause harm to his family."  
  
"Chlo, he already has." Clark told her gently.  
  
Chloe looked into Clark's eyes and thought about the incidents where she and the kids had been in danger. She thought about the time someone had planted a bomb in the mini-van they used to cart the kids around. It had been so close that time.  
  
The only reason my family is here is because Lex at the last minute wanted to take the Suburban in case some of the twins' friends decided to come over. The mini-van would have been too small, Lex argued as he sent Helen, the maid, to tell the mechanic to bring the other car around and park the van in the garage.  
  
"He's changed since his father died. I thought he'd be freer after Lionel died, but he wasn't. It's as if he is slowly turning into Lionel." Chloe sagged against the arm of the couch. "I'm going to do it. I'm going to leave him and go home to Smallville."  
  
"Oh Chloe..." Clark hugged her tightly.  
  
"But not tonight. I can't tonight. I have to pack some clothes for the kids and myself; I need to do so much."  
  
"Tomorrow then? Do you want me to drive you back Smallville?"  
  
"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I can't leave Lex on Christmas Eve."  
  
"Chloe, if you don't go now, you won't ever go."  
  
Chloe sniffled a little and stood up. "You need to go now. Lex'll be back at any time."  
  
Clark stood up and they walked out of the family room and through the elegantly furnished apartment to the door. He put on his coat and turned to look at her.  
  
Chloe Sullivan-Luthor hadn't changed too much since high school. Her face looked as young as ever, if sad and red from crying. Her blond hair was longer now and she dressed in more mature clothes from those in high school.  
  
"You're going to be okay Chloe. You have Alex and Connor and you know you have me."  
  
She forced a smile. "I know." She moved to open the door, but was nearly hit by it when it swung open.  
  
Lex Luthor stood in the door, his hands full with a briefcase and heavy stuffed sacks with the names of toy stores on them. He too hadn't changed much physically since Clark and Chloe had been in high school. He was more muscular in the arms and chest, but it was his attitude that had changed radically. During the first few years of marriage to Chloe he had been the perfect husband and friend, but lately, with the death of his father, he had turned into a cold person.  
  
"Clark. What an unexpected surprise. What brings you to the Luthor home?" Lex stepped into the foyer and set the bags down. He removed his coat and gloves and placed them in the closet. He looked around, "Where is everyone?"  
  
"The kids are already in bed and I told the staff to go on home for the holiday." Chloe spoke up and plastered a smile on her face.  
  
"I was just about to go. I came by to say hi and see how you guys were doing since I hadn't talked you in a while." Clark lied to Lex and moved towards the door. "I have work early in the morning and don't want to be late again."  
  
"That's Clark Kent for you, always late." Chloe joked and forced a laugh.  
  
Lex's smile did not go up into his eyes, "Too bad you can't stay and catch up. I need to help Chloe wrap these presents and put them under the tree anyway."  
  
"Right. Well, I'll let you two get about your business. I'll talk to you later on. Take care, Chloe, Lex." He walked out the door and waved bye as he walked down the hall to the elevator.  
  
Lex stood with the door open and watched as Clark made his way down the hall. He shut the door when he heard the ding of the elevator's bell. "What did Clark want?" He turned back to his wife and studied her carefully. "Were you crying?"  
  
"What? Oh no, Clark was just telling me a sad story he had contributed to for the paper." Chloe sighed and picked up one of the sacks on the floor. "I thought we agreed not to get the kids too many gifts this year. We don't want to spoil them."  
  
"I just wanted to make sure they got everything they wanted."  
  
Chloe nodded and motioned for him to pick up the other sacks. "I wish you hadn't, but it doesn't matter now. Come on, let's take these into your study and wrap them."  
  
Lex stepped next to her and pulled the sacks out of her hands; he then wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned down to kiss her. "Actually, I was hoping we could celebrate a little early, if you know what I mean."  
  
***  
  
The bedroom was dark and Lex's soft snores seemed to almost echo in the huge room. Chloe knew every nook and cranny in the room. She had put her foot down and had been insistent when it came to decorating the bedroom. A decorator had designed the rest of the apartment, but she had chosen every single aspect of the room from the color of the paint on the walls down to the color of the sheets on the bed. It was her favorite room in the apartment. Her next favorite room was the kids' room. It was so bright and cheery.  
  
Chloe sighed and rolled over. She looked at Lex's sleeping face; it looked as carefree as it had on their wedding day. No trace of the anger that had marred its graceful features as of late. Chloe didn't know why she had allowed Lex to make love with her. After she left, she knew he was going to think it hadn't been anything but a pity screw. But for her, it was goodbye. She was going to take the kids and not come back to the fancy apartment in Metropolis. She was going home to Smallville.  
  
Home. What a funny word. She could remember when Smallville had been brand new to her and not much of a home. Now, she thought of Smallville as her sanctuary. She was going to start her life over one more time in Smallville.  
  
Chloe felt her throat tighten and her eyes moisten. She ran a hand down Lex's face and leaned over to kiss him gently on the mouth. "I love you Lex. I always will."  
  
She settled back down onto her pillow and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come.  
  
***  
  
"Mommy! Alex just picked his nose!" Five year Connor pointed at his twin brother from across the kitchen table.  
  
"Alexander, your fingers do not belong up your nose. Now apologize for your rude behavior. And Connor, people don't like tattletales." Lex's stern voice commanded from behind the newspaper he was reading.  
  
"I apologize for my rude behavior." Alexander Luthor II said quietly to everyone at the table. His lip trembled a little as he looked at his mother.  
  
Chloe smiled and winked at him. "Why don't you two go shake some presents? Then come and tell me what you think they are."  
  
Both of the boys cried with joy as they scooted off their chairs and ran out of the kitchen.  
  
"Don't shake them too hard! You might break something!" Chloe yelled after them. Her smile faded as she turned to face her husband. "They're just kids Lex. You don't need to be so harsh with them."  
  
Lex folded his paper and sat it down next to his plate. While Chloe and the boys had just eaten some sugary breakfast cereal, he had insisted on eggs, toast, and bacon. "I'm trying to mold them into proper young men, Chloe. I'm not being harsh with them."  
  
Chloe frowned, stood up and started to collect dishes off the table. "You're more like your father everyday, Lex. Harsh and cold most of the time, with a little warmth and love thrown in occasionally to throw people off."  
  
"Chloe..." Lex reached out to grab her as she walked by, but she scooted out of his reach. He sighed and stood up, putting on his suit jacket. "I don't have time to argue with you about this. I need to go to the office and finish up a few things. I'm sorry, but I have to do this if we're going to go on Vacation after Christmas." He said, expecting her to protest his working on Christmas Eve. To his surprise, she just nodded.  
  
"You do what you have to do, Lex." And I'll do what I have to do.  
  
Lex stared at her for a second and then he scowled a little. "Why have you been so distant? Did something happen? Did you have a fight with Clark?"  
  
"No, I just realize we both have things we must do today." She turned around to face him.  
  
"Okay, well, tell the kids I love them...and I'm sorry for being so hard on them at times. Okay? I love you, Chlo." He kissed her on the cheek as he walked out of the kitchen.  
  
She waited until she heard the front door close to break into sobs. "I love you too Lex."  
  
***  
  
Chloe swung the bags into the back of the suburban the garage attendant had just pulled around for her. She shut the door and moved to buckle her two boys into their seats. "Boys, please stop kicking the back of the seat."  
  
"Yes, mommy." They said in unison. She turned to look at her twin boys, to see what sort of mischief they were up to, but they were both busy flipping through the stack of DVDs they could watch on the long trip to Smallville.  
  
She climbed into the front seat of the white suburban and started out of the garage that belonged to LexTowers, the most elite apartment building in Metropolis.  
  
"Mommy, where are we going?" Connor asked over the sound of the cartoons playing.  
  
"We're going home, baby."  
  
"Oh. I though we were at home."  
  
"We're going home to Smallville. You remember it, right? Where Grandpa Lionel's big house is?"  
  
"I remember!" Alex interjected, just waiting to show up his younger brother by twenty minutes.  
  
"Why isn't daddy going with us?"  
  
"He doesn't know that we're going." Chloe found it especially hard to say this.  
  
"It's a surprise?"  
  
"In a way." Chloe answered as tears started running down her face.  
  
"Okay. Why didn't we bring any of the presents with us? We aren't going to get to open anything tomorrow if we don't have our presents with us."  
  
"Don't worry about that. There'll be more presents."  
  
"Can I have a puppy? Daddy said that I couldn't have one because it'd be messy and because I was getting so much already."  
  
Chloe smiled into her rearview mirror at her Connor. "I think we might be able to arrange a puppy."  
  
"And a kitten, mommy?" Alex piped up.  
  
Chloe laughed and wiped the tears from her face. Everything was going to be okay as long as she had her boys. "I think we can get a kitten too."  
  
*** Lex pushed open the door to the apartment and set his briefcase on the floor. He hoisted the squirming fat little German Shepherd puppy up further in his arms. "Chloe! Alex! Connor! I'm home!" He called out.  
  
He stood for a few seconds in the foyer, wondering why there was no sound of children rushing to greet their father or, for that matter, any sound at all. He frowned and made his way to the family room, checking each room he passed by. No sign of his family. He looked in the family room, but no one was in there. He set the puppy down on the floor in the hallway and started to run to all of the rooms.  
  
They weren't in any of the other rooms in the apartment, so he went to his study. It was at the very back of the apartment, and it was sound proof. He thought maybe Chloe had called the help back to take the children out while she finished wrapping presents. He threw open the door to the study and stood in the doorway looking for his missing wife and children. He felt the puppy rub up against his legs and he realized the dog must have been following him as he ran around the apartment.  
  
Lex went to look at the desk. Chloe often left notes there if she was going out for a while and none of the staff was around to give him a message. Sure enough there was a letter in Chloe's handwriting sitting on the desk. He sighed in relief and picked up the letter. She probably took them to see Santa or something else. As he started reading, he slid into his chair.  
  
  
  
Dear Lex-  
  
I know this is probably going to come as a shock to you, but for me it has been slowly building up and I have to get this off my chest. I cannot live with how you've changed so much recently. It really hurts me to write this, knowing that you'll think I've abandoned you and everything we've built together, but I'm not. I was going to leave and tell you it was all over, but I can't do that. I love what we have too much to do that. I'm going home for a while to think things over, and I want you to give me a little time. You also need some time. You're becoming more and more like your father everyday and I cannot live with that. As much as I love you, if you cannot realize what is happening to you, maybe we aren't really meant to be together. We're both going to have to make some changes. I'm going to stay with my dad. Please don't come to Smallville unless you've really thought about what I've said. I love you and the kids love you. I have my cell phone with me and they'll expect to hear from their dad on Christmas. Love you always, Chloe Sullivan-Luthor  
  
Lex swallowed hard. She had left him. He couldn't believe it. What had gone wrong? Everything had seemed fine to him. You're becoming more like your father everyday. So what if he was? All he was trying to do was build a future for his family. Yes, he sometimes had to be a real tight ass to do that, but in the end it would all be okay. What made her just suddenly decide to up and leave me? Clark. Clark Kent. Chloe had been upset since he had come and visited last night. Superboy. Chloe's first love. It suddenly clicked into place in his mind. Lex slammed his fist down onto the beautiful cherry wood desk that Chloe had picked out. I don't care what it takes; I'm going to make him regret interfering in my life. First things first though, I need to get my family back here with me.  
  
***  
  
What should have been a three-hour drive to Smallville turned into a four and a half hour drive. And we're not even within forty freakin' miles of Smallville! Chloe hated driving on ice and snow, especially when the Alex and Connor were in the car with her. She looked back at her two boys in the rearview mirror; Alex was sleeping and Connor was watching the snow fly by the window. He too, however, looked ready to dooze off. Chloe sighed and thought that maybe some Christmas music would cheer her up. She flipped open the CD carrying case on the passenger side and pulled out her favorite CD of Christmas music. As she went to slip it into the slot, she dropped the CD under her feet.  
  
"Crap!" She exclaimed. She tried to use a foot to scoot the CD up where she could grab it but she wasn't able to see it without taking her eyes off the road. She drove on for a few more miles before she decided to pull off to the side and stop the car long enough to grab the CD. She would hate for it to accidentally slide under her break and be scratched or broken if she had to break suddenly.  
  
As soon as she was safely off to the side, she reached down and grabbed the CD. She blew on it to get the dirt off of it and popped it into the CD player, turning it down low so as to not disturb her children. She hummed along with the music and released her break to prepare to pull back into traffic.  
  
Just as she was about to merge onto the highway, a freighter truck plowed into the side of the white suburban.  
  
***  
  
Lex suddenly felt a blinding pain in his head. It only lasted a second, but it was enough to make it feel like the room was spinning. He clutched his head in his hands and dizzyingly wondered where it came from. Chloe. He looked up suddenly and reached for the phone that set on his desk. He quickly dialed the number to her cell phone, but he only got her voicemail. He dialed the number to Gabe Sullivan's house, but no one picked up the phone.  
  
He slowly replaced the phone on the hook and looked down at the little puppy busily chewing on the laces of his Gucci loafers. He picked up the small dog and hugged it close.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
To Be Continued. 


	2. Ice, cars, fuzzy slippers,

Disclaimer: I own nada, zip, zilch, and zero. Which is too bad really, because I could think of some interesting things to do with Lex…. 

Author's Notes: This chapter has a flashback to seven years earlier, when fate throws Chloe and Lex together. If this seems confusing, please say so in the reviews so that I can change it for the next chapter. I thought I should mention that this not only the story of how Lex goes bad, but how Chloe and Lex fell in love. Enjoy. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lex had sat in the same spot, unmoving, for at least half an hour until the phone rang. Lex pushed the puppy off his lap and grabbed the phone as it rang a second time. 

            "Luthor." 

            "Mr. Alexander Luthor?" A man's voice asked on the other side.

            "Speaking." Lex said curtly into the phone. 

            "Mr. Luthor, is Chloe Sullivan-Luthor your wife?" 

            Lex swallowed and closed his eyes. "Yes, yes she is. Is something wrong?" 

            "I'm sorry Mr. Luthor, your wife was in a serious car accident."

            "Where is she?"

            "She was taken by MedEvac to Metropolis General." 

            Lex felt his throat tighten. "What about my children?" 

            There was silence for a moment, and then the voice said, "Alexander is listed in serious condition and Connor is listed in serious but stable condition." 

            "My father-in-law will be my representative until I can get down there." Lex paused and choked a bit, "I need to see my wife…" 

            "Yes, sir. What would his name be?" 

"Gabe Sullivan." He told the man the number and then hung up. He stood up quickly, grabbed his cell phone, and made his way to the front of the apartment. He pressed a button and the phone automatically dialed the number he wanted. "Manuel? Prepare the helicopter. My wife was in an accident and is at Metropolis General. I'll be up on the roof in five minutes. Be there or you're out of a job." Lex slipped his coat on and then heard the puppy whine. He gently scooted it out of the way of the door with his foot and then slipped out of the apartment, not bothering to lock the door. He raced down the hallway, and decided that he could run up the three flights of stairs to the roof by the time the elevator made it up to his floor. _Chloe is here in Metropolis and the kids are in Smallville. _Lex was torn between his fatherly instincts and the need to check on his wife. _Gabe will be there. I'll call him and tell him to have the kids flown here to Metropolis as soon as they're stable._

            It seemed to take an eternity to make it up three flights of stairs, but Lex finally burst out onto the roof breathless. The wind bit at him, but he ignored it as the helicopter with the LexCorp on the side of it was just landing. Lex ducked his head and jumped into the open door. "Metropolis General, Manuel. As quickly as possible." The helicopter took off and Lex buckled his safety belt. He looked out the window and he realized that it was snowing.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Seven Years Earlier_

"I hate this kind of weather." Chloe Sullivan complained to the empty car as she drove along one of the many farm roads outside of Smallville, Kansas. "Its freezing outside, and it's wet, but there's nothing to show for the cold crappy weather! No snow! No pretty icicles hanging on houses! Just ice on the freakin' road!" She slowed the car down before she went over a bridge. Her car slid a little over the ice, but she kept the car on the road. _I should have drove back earlier. Dad said there wasn't any ice on the roads then. _ Chloe was driving back to her house in Smallville from University Metropolis for the Christmas holiday. She had decided to stay in Metropolis after the semester had ended when one of her professor's had offered her a job helping him collect and organize data for a project. _Not bad pay considering all he really lets me do is fetch him coffee and file. _Chloe thought with a wry smile on her face. "Is that snow?" She asked herself. She leaned forward to look closer at her windshield. _Whoo-hoo. Snow. _Chloe smiled and sped up just a little so that she could get home faster. 

            Lex shifted the gears of his Porsche and scowled lightly at the sign warning of possible ice on the bridge. Lex hated this time of the year. He hadn't had a good Christmas since his mom died. Yes, his friendship with Clark had made the past years easier, but with Clark away at school, Clark was more interested in spending time with his family and working around Smallville doing odd jobs. 

            "Oh the weather outside is frightful…" 

            Lex quickly turned off the radio. He had heard one too many Christmas carols today. He was almost back to the warm, comfortable, empty Luthor Manor.  He sighed and shifted gears once again as he slowed down going around a sharp curve. 

            "Oh the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful…" Chloe sang along at the top of her lungs with the radio. She was only twenty minutes from her home and she was looking forward to seeing her dad and relaxing in the comfort of pajamas and fuzzy slippers. "Fuzzy slippers, pajamas, coffee, and today's newspaper. Mmm. Heaven." 

            Chloe slid her foot from the gas pedal to the break as she went around a bend that she remembered speeding around when she was in high school. _We always had so much fun. Clark, Pete, and Lana all in the car and yelling with joy as we went around the corner. _She smiled and pushed down on the gas pedal. 

            "Oh sonof –" Lex cursed as another came around the curve at a speed that made him cringe considering the weather outside. He looked in the rearview mirror and realized that the car had disappeared. _What the hell? Oh shit…_ Lex realized that the car must have driven off the road. He stopped his car and then reversed it. Lex knew he had to make sure that the driver was okay and maybe call a tow truck for whoever was in the car. 

            He stopped the car right next to the ditch where the other car lay. He got out of the warm interior of the Porsche and hurried over. He slid on an ice patch and nearly lost his balance. _He must have hit that ice and at that speed wasn't able to control the car._ Lex got to the driver's side car door and yanked on it. It was locked. He pounded on the foggy window trying to get the person to open the door. He heard the click of the lock and he pulled it open. Inside of the car sat a breathless blond that he recognized. 

            "Chloe Sullivan!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Really, I'm okay. I just hit my head is all." Chloe protested as Lex practically dumped her in the passenger seat of his Porsche. "I can't leave my car here! Someone might steal it or hit it! And all my stuff is inside!" Lex slammed the door on her protest. 

            "Stupid, dangerous teenagers…" Lex muttered as he went over to Chloe's car. The snow was coming down harder now and there was at least half an inch on the trunk of her car. He opened it and grabbed as many bags as he could carry. He carried them over to his small Porsche and wondered how they were all going to fit. He opened the back and stuffed the bags in there and went back for the rest of Chloe's stuff. 

            Chloe sat quietly in the luxurious leather seat and glared at Lex Luthor through the windows as he scurried back and forth between the two cars. _Scurrying like the rat he is._ Chloe realized that Lex was her father's boss and that Clark Kent was his best friend, but she couldn't help but feel cranky. Lex approached the car again with another handful of bags. This time he opened his car door and shoved them behind the seat. 

            "What are you doing? Moving back home?" Lex asked Chloe as he slid into his car seat. He turned up the heat in the car and pressed his hands against the vent. 

            Chloe just glared. "I had everything under control." 

            Lex rolled his eyes and pulled the car away from the ditch. He headed in the same direction Chloe had been going. "You hit your head, you could have a concussion. I'll take you home to your dad. Out of curiosity, what were you doing take a curve like that at  - what? Sixty miles per hour? – in this kind of weather?" His voice was curt. 

            _Bite me. _"I didn't realize how fast I was going and I didn't think there would be ice on any other places but bridges."

            _What kind of idiot thinks that? _"I see." Lex gripped the wheel tightly. 

            They drove on in silence until they reached Chloe's house. Lex pulled the car into the driveway and turned the engine off. He was waiting for Chloe to get out of the car, but she just sat there. "Is something wrong?" Lex asked as the door to the house opened up and Gabe Sullivan appeared. 

            "Could we maybe not mention to my father how I ended up getting the car in a ditch?"

            Lex smiled and waved to Gabe as he approached the car. "So, basically, just tell him your car drove itself into a ditch?" 

            Chloe gave him a bright smile. "If that works for you, it works for me." 

            Lex hadn't seen Chloe smile in a long time. True, he hadn't seen her in a long time, but for some reason this smile was different. He kept the smile on his face, but for some reason, he didn't feel like smiling. He felt like his whole body was on fire. He blinked at her and shook his head. "I'll just go along with whatever you say." He opened his car door and stepped out. 

            "Lex! What are you doing here? I would have thought you'd be with your father in Metropolis." Gabe Sullivan reached for Lex's hand and shook heartily. "Is that Chloe?" He asked, looking over Lex's shoulder into the car. 

            Chloe climbed out of the car. "Hey dad. I hit an ice patch and drove the car into a ditch. Luckily, Lex had just driven by, so he stopped to make sure I was okay. He graciously dumped me in his car and brought me here." 

            Gabe frowned. "Are you okay? Come on, let's go in the house and not stand here in the snow." He motioned for them to follow. 

            "Actually, Gabe, I really should start back towards the Manor." Lex started but was cut off by Gabe. 

            "Nonsense. Come in and have something warm to drink." 

            Lex thought of the empty Manor and of the small house in front of him that seemed to glow with…life. "I guess I can stay for a little while. Maybe the weather will be a bit calmer then." He followed Gabe to the door and glanced back at Chloe. She was scowling and muttering something he couldn't hear over the wind. 

            "So much for fuzzy slippers and pajamas…" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Lex ran through the hallways of Metropolis General. He had already been asked once by a nurse not to run through the hospital, but he was in a hurry to get up to the surgery waiting room. The attendant at the front desk had told him it was on the twelfth floor. He came to a stop in front of the elevators and pressed the button. He heard a ding behind him and he realized that one of the elevators was opening. He joined the small group of people waiting to get on. _Christ, how damn long does it take to open elevator doors?_ Lex tapped his foot impatiently. The door slid open and he, along with the rest of the crowd, made room for the exiting passengers. As soon as they were off, the group pressed forward and Lex found himself in the very front of the elevator. He pressed the button for the floor he wanted and hit the 'Close Doors' button. 

            "Lex?" 

            Lex heard his named called out and an arm stopped the doors from closing. They opened up fully to reveal Clark Kent. 


	3. Cartoons, and a confrontation

Disclaimer: No deniro is being made off this and I don't own anything. Duh. 

Author's note: This chapter basically picks up where the last one left off. The next chapter though, will be jumping around quite a bit with flashbacks and will be longer. 

~*~*~*~*~

Lex moved over to the side a little as Clark stepped into the elevator. He pressed the 'Close Doors' button again and stared at Clark's reflection in the shiny elevator doors. 

            "Why are you here at the hospital and not at home with Chloe and the kids?" Clark asked. 

            Lex remained silent. Several times he had to move out of the way for people to exit from the elevator; each time he would quickly jab at the button to close the doors. Finally, the last person exited on the eighth floor. 

            "Lex, what's wrong?" 

            Lex turned on him, "So, tell me, Clark, what are _you_ doing here?"

            Clark gave him a confused look. "I came to visit a sick friend I work with; she has pneumonia." 

            Lex turned to face the doors. "I came here to be with Chloe." His voice was toneless. 

            Clark was stunned, "What? What's wrong with her?"

            Lex kept his eyes on Clark's reflection in the doors. "Chloe and the kids were in a car wreck on the road to Smallville." Lex's held a note of contempt in it. "Tell me Clark, do you have any idea why she might be traveling on Christmas Eve to Smallville?" He turned to look at the man he had once considered his best friend. 

            "Oh my god, Lex." Clark reached to put his hand on Lex's shoulder, but Lex shrugged it off. 

            The elevator doors opened on the twelfth floor and Lex strode out of the elevator without giving a second look to Clark. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seven Years Earlier 

            "No, no, you must be joking with me." 

            "No, really, I haven't." 

            "God, where did you grow up? A cave?"

            "Actually, I spent most of my youth in a series of boarding schools…." 

            Chloe rolled her eyes and threw the pillow she was leaning against at Lex. "I could have sworn everyone in the universe had seen A Christmas Story." 

            "Nope, not me." 

            Lex, Chloe, and Gabe sat in the living room with the local news on. Lex had originally planned to stay just for a moment after he dropped Chloe off into the safety and warmth of her home, but when the snow had become so heavy that Lex couldn't see more than six inches in front of him, he had been forced to wait out the storm. Lex was enjoying himself quite a bit; it had been a little tense at first, but Gabe was one of those individuals that could fill in any awkward silences. Lex studied the room: nothing pretentious here, just comfortable sturdy furniture, and a big, brightly lit Christmas tree. 

            "Look at that! It's after midnight! Time certainly does fly when you're having fun, huh kids?" Gabe Sullivan chuckled as he got out of his recliner and went over to the tree. "I hope you don't mind Lex, but I want to go ahead and give Chloe one of her gifts." 

            Lex stood up, "I really ought to let you two have some family time…" 

            "You are not leaving this house in this kind of weather, so just sit yourself down; besides it doesn't look like it's going to let up until early in the morning." Chloe stood up and put her hands on her hips. She couldn't explain it, but for some reason she didn't really want Lex to go yet. _Am I going crazy or am I enjoying the company of Lex Luthor?_ Chloe gave Lex a hesitant smile and gestured at him to sit back down. 

            _I must be going crazy, but that smile seems to light up the whole room. _"You have a point…there's really nothing at the manor to rush back to anyway." Lex sat back down and watched as Gabe gave Chloe a small box that obviously held some sort of jewelry. 

            Chloe ripped off the wrapping paper with glee. A black velvet jewelry box was revealed. She gently pried open the lid and then gasped. "Oh dad, it's beautiful." She pulled the necklace out of the box and had it secured around her neck quickly. She hugged her dad and then ran out of the room. "I'm going to go look in a mirror." She yelled behind her. 

            Lex smiled at Gabe. "Your gift was a hit." 

            Gabe sat down in his recliner and smiled. "I figured it was high time I gave her something real. She looks good in red, so it's a ruby."  He looked away from Lex for a moment. _Her mother looked good in red too._

            Chloe came bouncing back into the room. She flopped down on the couch next to Lex and showed him the necklace. "Isn't it gorgeous?" 

            Lex smiled at her excitement. "It's a lovely piece; your father choose wisely." 

            Chloe rewarded him with a smile before she hopped to her feet and went out of the room. She came quickly bearing a package. She handed it to her dad and sat down to watch him open it. It was nothing along the line of what he got her, but she thought he would like it. 

            _So this is what Christmas is supposed to be like. I had forgotten the excitement of getting a gift that was picked out with love and care and the thrill of watching someone you love open a gift you picked out. _Lex watched the Sullivans and smiled to himself. 

~*~*~*~*~

            Gabe yawned and shook his head. He glanced at the clock on the wall, it was 2:00 AM and Chloe and Lex were deep in conversation with only the occasional comment from him. He stood up. "Well kids, as fun as this is, I'm going to sleep. Lex, I'll see you in the morning. Chloe, make sure you give him plenty of blankets because that spare room tends to stay cold." 

            Chloe gave him a salute. "Aye, Aye Captain. G'night dad."

            "Good night, Gabe." 

            Lex watched Gabe disappear from the room. "You were saying?"

            "Well, I rewrote the paper a bit, turned it in to a different professor, and got a higher grade!" 

            "Ah, the college trick of recycling papers. I had forgotten how some people did that."

            "Oh please, you didn't do it at least once when you were in a bind?" 

            "No. I paid people to write my papers."

            Chloe laughed. "You know, before this, I never really understood why Clark and you were such good friends. I mean, you two seem like total opposites, but you're a really cool guy to talk to." 

            Lex smirked. "Gee, thanks." 

            A silence settled in the room. Chloe bit her lip and then grabbed the remote. "Hello Cartoon Network." 

            "Cartoons. Aren't you a little old for cartoons?" 

            "You're never too old for cartoons, Lex." Chloe told him with a certain air of superiority. She settled back into the couch. "Now listen, watch, and learn, grasshopper." 

            Lex nodded his head, "Yes, sensei." 

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Gabe Sullivan walked down the stairs of his house, wondering if Chloe was up yet and if Lex had left. It had finally stopped snowing sometime in the night and now there was a foot of snow on the ground. It was officially a white Christmas. Gabe turned into the living room and stopped suddenly. The television was on and there was a cartoon show playing on it. On the couch sat the sleeping figures of Lex and Chloe. Chloe's head was resting on Lex's shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her. Gabe blinked as if to make sure it wasn't a dream. Thinking quick, he grabbed the remote and turned the volume up as loud as the remote would allow; as soon as he saw one of them move a little he tossed the remote down and hurried out of the room. 

            "Good grief…" Chloe felt around for the remote, but didn't feel it. What she did feel was the warm body of Lex Luthor. _Oh my god. _Chloe slipped off the couch and went to turn the TV off. She ran her fingers through her hair and then went back over to the couch. "Lex. Lex. Wake up!" She shook his arm roughly. 

            "I'm up. What time is it?" 

            Chloe looked at the clock. "8:30. We must have fallen asleep watching TV." 

            Lex sat up and rubbed his face. _For only getting about five hours of sleep in an upright position, I feel remarkably well. _"I should get going. I'm supposed to in Metropolis at 5:00 for a charity dinner." 

            Chloe nodded. "The weather should be better by now and the roads cleared if necessary." 

            Lex looked up at her. "Actually, I'm flying in." 

            "Oh, well… Hi dad."  Chloe went over and gave her dad a hug. "Merry Christmas."

            "Merry Christmas Gabe." Lex stood up and stretched.

            "Merry Christmas to you too. You two must have been up late." 

            "We fell asleep watching cartoons." Chloe told her dad, not quite meeting his eyes. 

            "Ah. Well." He looked over at Lex. "The roads are cleared and the tow truck brought Chloe's car."

            "I really should go then." Lex looked over to Chloe. "I had fun last night. This was the nicest Christmases I've had in a while." 

            Gabe stared at the two of them and he could feel the tension that had suddenly appeared. 

            Lex swallowed quickly and broke his gaze off of Chloe he turned to face Gabe. "Why don't you two come over for dinner next Wednesday night? Say at 6:00 PM?" 

            "We'd love to." Chloe answered in a rush for her father. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Clark followed Lex out of the elevator. "Lex, wait up!" 

            Lex kept walking and ignored Clark. He pushed through the doors that bore a sign saying 'Surgery Waiting Room' and then went to the desk where a young woman sat. "My name is Alexander Luthor." 

            The young woman sat up very quickly; she recognized Lex Luthor from the news. "Mr. Luthor! Yes, your wife is still in surgery at the moment. As soon as her doctor is available he'll come and speak to you." 

            "Do you know what's wrong with her?" 

            Lex felt his body stiffen at the sound of Clark's voice. He turned around and stood very close to Clark. "Let me make this clear, Kent: I know you're the one that talked her into leaving me. You're the reason why my wife and children are in the hospital instead of at home where they belong. And let me make this even clearer: if I see you around my family again, I'll ruin you and everyone you care about." 

            Clark's face twisted with a mixture of anger and sadness. "What happened to you, Lex?" 

            Lex just stared at him. He turned back to the woman staring at the two of them with her mouth open. "This man is of no relation to myself or my wife. If you value your job, you'll give him no information and have him kept away from my family." 

            The woman blinked. "Yess, yes sir." She picked up the phone next to her and said a few words in it. A few minutes later, two security guards approached Clark. 

            "Sir, you're going to have to come with us." 

            Clark gave Lex a sad look. "I'm sorry Lex that you want to believe I'm the cause of all this." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Lex sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that lined the walls. Gabe had called him and told him that neither of the twins was stable enough to be airlifted to Metropolis. Lex licked his lips and stared down at his cell phone. Gabe had promised to call him as soon as there was any change in the boys' condition. _What did I do to deserve this?_

            "Mr. Luthor? My name is Doctor Roe." A tired looking man in scrubs approached Lex. He offered his hand.

            "Dr. Roe how's my wife?" Lex slipped his cell phone into his coat pocket and shook that man's offered hand.

            Dr. Roe sat down in the chair next to Lex. "I'm afraid it's not good. Mrs. Luthor injured her head quite seriously. There is a great deal of swelling. She had a punctured lung; there was some damage to her spinal cord, and she was bleeding internally." He paused. "We've done all we can at the moment. However, I'm afraid the injury to her head has caused her to slip into a coma." 


	4. A dinner with unexpected guests

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the computer upon this was written. I'm also broke, so please don't sue. Smallville belongs to some lucky people that does not include me. 

Author's Notes: Yes, it's been a while. Yes, I said this chapter was going to be longer, but I lied. Thanks for all of the reviews. I do appreciate them. Sorry, but this will not have a happy ending. Oh well. Also, does anyone think that any of the characters are out of character? 

Email: stdrmf15@shsu.edu

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lex took a deep breath and stared at his hands. _This isn't fair. Why is this happening? _He looked up at Dr. Roe. "I want a second opinion on my wife's condition and the best doctors to care for her." _I've got to call Gabe…_

            "Mr. Luthor, I'll give you the names of the best doctors available, but I'm afraid only time will tell how your wife fares." Dr. Roe stood up and motioned to a nurse standing away from them. "Nurse Holden will show you to your wife's room and will give you my pager number and the cards of the other doctors. I'll be checking on her in about an hour, I'll talk to you then." 

            Lex stood. "Thank you, Dr. Roe. I shall speak to you in an hour." He watched Dr Roe walk off and turned to face Nurse Holden. "Ms. Holden, my wife is to have only the best while she gets better." Nurse Holden nodded, but he detected a note of sympathy and pity in her eyes. Lex felt his face harden. "Please take me to see her _now_."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Six Years and Seven Months Earlier 

            Chloe's apartment was bright, colorful, and incredibly small. "I really like this meal." 

            "I'm glad you approve." Lex Luthor said to her. They were sitting next to each other at the small table in Chloe's kitchen. "The Dove and Rose normally doesn't allow take out," Lex shrugged and gave her a smile, "But I convinced them to do so." 

            Chloe nearly choked on her forkful of salmon. "This is from The Dove and Rose? That's, like, the most expensive elite restaurant in Metropolis! How'd you get them to do this?" She gestured to the beautifully prepared meal laid out before them. The 'take-out' containers were delicate white china with roses decorating the edges. 

            Lex smiled as he picked up one of the silk napkins the restaurant had included and wiped the lemon butter sauce off the edge of Chloe's mouth. He leaned closer to her and stared into her eyes. He noticed they were both holding their breath.

"I'm extremely persuasive." _Of course, I'm sure being a silent partner in the restaurant helped. _ He took a deep breath and continued to look into her eyes. "I love your perfume. It's enchanting." _Just like you are._ Chloe was wearing a simple blue jean skirt and a black velvet top that had a picture of a newspaper with a humorous headline on it. She was barefoot and the dim lighting in the apartment made her seem to glow. 

            _I'm not wearing perfume. _Chloe closed her eyes as she felt Lex lean into her, his mouth coming within an inch of hers. Lex filled in the gap between them with a kiss that started out light and airy but became more passionate as he slipped an arm around her. Chloe felt like she was flying through the air. The kiss ended all too soon for her. She sagged lightly against him, breathless. _Why'd you stop?_

            "The door. Someone is at the door." Lex murmured against her lips, upset that someone had interrupted such a moment. 

            Chloe pulled away and stood up. She felt a little off balance and unsteady. "I'll go see who it is." _And get rid of them._

            Lex watched her walk away from him. Three months ago he had invited Chloe and Gabe Sullivan over to the manor for dinner. He had it planned perfectly. He would have dinner with the two of them, and get the spunky blond out of his head. Unfortunately, the dinner had mostly become fraught with long periods of just Gabe talking and Chloe and Lex just exchanging little looks. Every night after that, while Chloe was still in Smallville, he had come up with some sort of excuse to go see her. Once he even got trapped going bowling with Gabe when he thought that Chloe was going to be there. _That was actually rather amusing; Armani and rented bowling shoes certainly don't go well together._

            After Chloe went back to school, Lex had waited as long as he could – a whole week – before he tracked down her apartment number and went to see her. Since that evening, the two of them had been spending time together. Watching movies, reading together on Chloe's tiny couch, eating dinner, or just sitting near each other quietly. While Lex knew Chloe was enjoying herself as much as he was, he felt a little odd about never asking her out on a real date. _Soon though. I don't want her harassed by the media. She's so young and deserves a life without having to worry about tripping over people that want to write stories about her relationship to me. _Still though, a little voice inside his head kept nagging him that he wasn't trying to protect her from the media as much as he was trying to protect her from his father. Lex had done all he could to make sure no one, not even his closest friend, knew he was seeing Chloe Sullivan. 

            Chloe opened the door enough to let the chain catch. Her breath caught. _Oh no. Why are they here? _"Oh Mr. and Mrs. Kent! Clark! I didn't know you guys were coming in town." She plastered a smile on her face. 

            "We came to see Clark and we thought we'd take you along with us when we went to dinner." Martha Kent told her. 

            "I haven't seen you around school as much as I used to, so I figured that this would be a good time to catch up." Clark gave her that smile that used to set her heart on fire, but now, for some reason, her heart didn't even flutter. 

            It was true that Chloe hadn't seen Clark around campus in a while. _And I haven't exactly been returning a lot of phone calls._ "Oh well, you know how it is with school and everything…" Chloe kept smiling. 

            "Uh, Chloe, could we maybe come in from the hallway?" Jonathan Kent finally spoke up.

            "What? Oh yeah! Um, just give me a second, the uh, apartment is a little messy." Chloe shut the door harder than she meant to. She ran over to the kitchen. "Lex! Clark and his family are here and want to take me out to dinner with them! You've got to leave some how!" 

            Lex stood up out of his chair quickly. He glanced around the apartment, but he knew there wasn't any kind of back door or any other escape route. _Why am I looking for a way to escape? We're not doing anything wrong._ Lex took a deep breath, "Chloe calm down. We're not doing anything wrong. Just two friends enjoying dinner." _And a bottle of wine and a few kisses… _Lex put his hands on Chloe's shoulder and looked down at her. "It's okay. Just go let the Kents in." He brushed his lips against her's and then turned her around and gave her a slight push. Lex followed behind her at a slower pace. 

            "Oh Chloe, if you think your apartment is messy, you should see Clark's dorm room…" Martha Kent trailed off as she caught sight of Lex. "Oh Lex, I wasn't expecting to see you here." 

            "Lex, what are you doing here?" Clark's voice held a note of confusion. He hadn't even known Lex was in Metropolis. 

            Lex sat down on the couch. "I came to have dinner with Chloe. We have dinner together every Friday night."

            Jonathan Kent narrowed his eyes at Lex. "Do you now?" _The bastard, she's only 19. _"How long has this been going on?" 

            Chloe finally caught the dangerous edge to Jonathan Kent's voice. "Lex and I have been seeing each other since Christmas." Chloe looked over to see what Clark's reaction was. Clark had a confused look on his face. Chloe went and stood behind Lex and put her hands on his shoulders. Lex reached up and put on of his hands on top of her's. 

            Jonathan Kent gave a sound of disbelief. "Does your father know?"

            "No." Lex and Chloe answered at the same time. 

            "What game are you playing at Luthor? She's just a kid!" Jonathan Kent railed at Lex. 

            Lex stood up quickly. "I'm not playing any game. I would never hurt Chloe that way." He stared at Jonathan Kent, angry that he would suggest such a thing. "I now you don't like me, Mr. Kent, but –" Lex was cut off by Chloe. 

            "He's not his father, Mr. Kent." 

            Silence reigned in the small apartment. Chloe went to stand next to Lex. "Lex would never do anything to hurt a friend of his." Chloe left off the part that she was a little more than a friend. 

            It was Martha Kent that finally recognized what was going on in the apartment. _Love. And I don't even know if they realize it yet. _ "We know that Lex would never do anything to hurt you." She said gently, elbowing Jonathan as he made a grumbling sound. She looked Chloe in the eye and then smiled at her. She stepped away from her husband and held her arms out to Chloe. _I know how it is to love a man that others don't approve of. _She gave Chloe a tight hug.

            Clark wasn't sure how he felt about Lex and Chloe being together. _Well, that's something I never thought I would hear: Lex Luthor and Chloe Sullivan together. _He gave a confused smile. "I don't know really what to say other than that if you're happy, I'm happy for you."

            "Clark, I know this has to be a bit of a surprise for you, but," Chloe hesitated and glanced at Lex. She could tell that he was studying her closely, waiting to see what she was going to say. Chloe put her hand on Clark's arm. "I really care for Lex, Clark." 

            Lex looked into his best friend's face and then looked to Chloe. He looked away and fought the impulse to grab Chloe and just hold her. Lex instead turned to see how Jonathan Kent was taking all of this. _Distrust. Dislike. Why can't he ever just see that I'm not like my father? _Lex met Jonathan Kent's eyes. _She means more to me than I can admit right now. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Lex wanted to hold her hand, see her smile up at him, and have her tell him it was all going to be all right. That wasn't too much to ask for, but Lex couldn't even hold her hand due to the tubes and wires sticking out of it. Chloe's blond hair was a mess and he ran his hand through gently to smooth out some of the tangles. The hospital room door opened. 

            "Sir, there is a phone call for you." The nurse went over to the bed and checked a few of the machines. She made a few notations on the clipboard she was carrying. 

            Lex hauled himself out of the chair. He stared down at his wife for a second, not wanting to leave her side. Lex hadn't wanted to leave his cell phone in case Gabe called with news of the kids, but the I.C.U. didn't allow them and the nurse at the desk swore to come get him if Gabe called. Lex strode hastily out the double doors into the waiting room. He stopped. The normally soft quiet waiting room was jam packed with reporters. They all rushed towards him. 

            "Mr. Luthor! Is it true that your wife was involved in a serious car accident?"

            "Mr. Luthor, where are your two children at the moment?"

            Lex growled and pushed his way to the desk. The nurse there looked upset and just a little worried. She held the cell phone out to him and he grabbed it. "Why are these people here? Get rid of them." 

            Lex walked into the hallway and before one of the reporters could follow him, he ducked into a bathroom and locked the door. Lex leaned against the wall and put the phone to his ear. "Luthor." 

            "Lex, it's me, Gabe." Gabe's voice was low and sounded muffled. 

            Lex felt a pang of dread. "How are the kids?" There was a silence that made Lex's throat tighten. 

            "Lex, Alex is out of surgery and is going to be airlifted there shortly, but Connor…" Gabe's voice broke with a cut off sob. "Lex, Connor had to go back into surgery and he didn't make it."  

            "No." Lex whispered into the phone. He could hear Gabe trying to talk to him but Lex's couldn't understand what he was saying. "No." He said louder. He shook his head as if to clear it. "God damn it, _no_!" Lex shouted as he threw the cell phone against the bathroom wall, shattering it into pieces. Lex slid down the wall. He couldn't seem to find his breath. _No. No. This isn't happening. This is all one bad dream. I'm going to wake up at any moment and it'll be Christmas and they'll all be safe. We'll together and safe. Together. Safe. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Six Years and Six Months Earlier 

            Chloe entered the diner and scanned the place. She smiled when she caught sight of Lex wearing sunglasses and reading a newspaper in the back corner booth. She walked over quickly. She slung her book bag into the seat opposite Lex and then sat down next to him. 

            "Miss me?" Lex's voice held a note of amusement. Chloe had insisted that he meet her at the small greasy diner near the university. 

            Chloe squeezed his leg under the table. "Horribly. I thought I was going to start crying during my last class because I missed you so much." She looked up as the waitress came over and asked what they wanted. "Two coffees."    

            "So what is it you had to tell me that couldn't wait until later?" Lex asked as he slid an arm around her waist. 

            "The Dean of the Journalism department is holding a dinner at the Metropolis Hyatt and I want us to go together." Chloe's voice was at once both excited and worried. 

            _That would be like walking into a den of hungry lions with a piece of meat tied around my neck. _Lex looked into Chloe's eyes and grabbed her hand under the table. "Chloe…"

            "Lex, please. I know you don't like the possibility of our relationship being dissected in a public forum, but I really want to go. Together." 

            Lex sighed and tried to look away from Chloe's hopeful face, but he found that he couldn't do it. _I don't want to disappoint her, but this... _"Alright, I'll go with you." 

            Chloe gave a cry of joy that made the other patrons in the diner turn around. She wrapped her arms around Lex's neck and kissed him. "This is going to be great!" 

            Lex laughed and gave her a wry smile. "If you say so. So when is this dinner?" He asked as the waitress set the two cups of coffees on the table. He took a sip of his coffee. Lex winced as he tasted the coffee. 

            Chloe poured plenty of cream and sugar into her coffee and then slowly stirred it. "In three days." 

            "Three days. What if I happen to be busy?" 

            "I looked in your appointment book." Chloe gave Lex a mildly triumphant smile. 

            "That was extremely sneaky." 

            Chloe leaned against him and gave a content smile as he slid his arm around her. "I hope you're not just now figuring that out."

Three Days Later 

            "Do I look okay?" 

            "You look beautiful." Lex glanced over at Chloe. She was wearing a strapless red dress that sparkled whenever light caught it. He noticed she was wearing her ruby necklace. Lex himself was wearing the same suit he had worn to work. The two of them were in Lex's car on the way to the hotel. 

            "I'm nervous." 

            "You shouldn't be. You look perfect and since we're together, nothing can ruin tonight." 

            Chloe smiled. "That was so romantic." She patted his thigh and sighed. "I hope you're right." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The knock on the bathroom door interrupted Lex's reverie. "Go away." 

            "Mr. Luthor? This is Dr. Roland. Your son, Alexander, has arrived and is in the pediatrics unit."

            Lex jumped to his feet and quickly unlocked the door. "How is he?" 

            Dr. Roland bit his lip and gestured for Lex to follow him. "Alex is in stable condition. He had some minor internal bleeding, but that was corrected. Right now we're concerned that infection might set in, but otherwise Alexander will make a full recovery." 


	5. When You Date a Luthor

Rating: PG-13 - Swearing, some references to sex. If your mommy is going to spank you for reading this sort of thing, please skip it.  
Author's Notes: It's been a while! I'm back in my dorm now and school is back in full swing, so I don't have a whole lot of time to write. I appreciate all the reviews. And, boy, wasn't Insurgence great?! For this story, I'm more or less ignoring everything that happens during and after Insurgence. Unless of course, some great ChLex scene comes up. :-) So, sorry it's been a while and that it is so short, but enjoy anyway!   
E-Mail: stdrmf15@shsu.edu  
AOL Instant Messenger: Naahmah1984  
MSN Instant Messenger: starchaser17 

  
Lex looked down at his oldest son. He slid into the chair next to the bed and picked up Alex's hand. "When will he wake up?" Lex asked Dr. Roland quietly, as if loud noises might disturb Alex. 

"He'll wake up in a couple of hours, but he might occasionally wake up long enough to try to turn over or see where he is." Dr. Roland paused, "He's most likely going to hurt quite a bit when he does wake up. If you're still here and he is in pain, just call a nurse." 

Lex nodded and murmured his thanks as Dr. Roland left. _God...he looks so helpless. So fragile. _He leaned his head down and kissed the small hand of his son.   


  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Six Years and Six Months Earlier  
  


Lex and Chloe had decided to wait in the bar while the rest of their party showed up. Lex had ordered himself a whiskey and a glass of wine for Chloe. The bartender, recognizing Lex Luthor, had not even asked for her ID. 

"Oh there's my teacher, Lex. And behind him are a couple of more teachers from the Department." Chloe had chosen seats at the bar where she could watch the entrance to the restaurant. She stepped off her chair and turned quickly to Lex. "Are you sure I look okay?" 

Lex reached for her shawl and gestured for her to turn around so that he could put it on her. "You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen." 

Chloe turned around to face him and she smiled. "And you've seen a lot." 

Lex laughed and offered her his arm. She took it and they started towards the group milling around the entrance to the restaurant. "I've seen more than my fair share, but you beat them all without even trying." Chloe looked up at him and squeezed his arm. They approached the group and Lex managed to keep his smile in place. 

"Professor Higgins, how are you tonight?" Chloe asked a burly man with glasses that kept sliding down his nose. 

"Ah, Ms. Sullivan! My favorite student! Please call me Nate, short for Nathaniel you know. I'm doing very well thank you. Dinner was supposed to start at least fifteen minutes ago, but with so many people, the Dean Richards decided to rent a banquet room and serve dinner buffet style. I do hope they hurry setting it up." Professor Higgins finally stopped and looked up at Chloe's escort. 

"Professor Higgins - excuse me, Nate, this is Alexander Luthor." Chloe let go of Lex's arm so that he could shake Professor Higgins' hand. 

Higgins stuck his hand out to shake hands, but kept staring at Lex. "Mr. Luthor! What a pleasure!" He shook Lex's hand heartily and then dropped it. "Ms. Sullivan, I didn't realize you were friends with Mr. Luthor." 

Lex thought Higgins was trying to shake his arm off. "Chloe and I have been friends for more than three years." 

"So, the two of you are just friends?" A grating high pitched voice asked behind them. Chloe and Lex turned at the same time in the direction the voice came from.

Chloe didn't recognize the short man. He had a mustache on his pale weasel-like face and was wearing a garishly bright tie. His hair was greased back, revealing a very high hairline. 

"Michael Aarons. I didn't realize you were invited to the dinner." Mr. Higgins shook the man newly identified man's hand. "Mr. Aarons works for The Inquisitor." 

Aarons smiled, which made him look even more like a weasel. "Dean Richards had a couple of students he wanted to introduce to me in regards to internships." Aarons turned towards Chloe. "I don't remember a Chloe Sullivan being mentioned to me though." He offered his hand to her, but just as he did, Lex gracefully took her arm and placed it on his. 

"I doubt she would have been mentioned to you, after all, Chloe has an internship with the Daily Planet this summer. I doubt she would have taken an internship at the Inquisitor anyway; it's turned into such a rag." Lex smiled down at Chloe. "I believe they're seating us now, Chloe." He inclined his head towards Professor Higgins. "It was a pleasure meeting you sir, perhaps we'll have time during dinner to talk." 

Professor Higgins nodded, smiled, and gurgled a little on how nice it was to meet Lex. 

Michael Aarons watched as the couple and Higgins followed the host into the restaurant. His smiled disappeared and was replaced by a slight sneer.   
"Lex, I swear, if you're rude like that to anyone else I'm going to yank out all of your hair." Chloe whispered to Lex with a warning look in her eyes. 

"In case you hadn't noticed, I don't have any hair." Lex ran a hand over his bald head. He smirked at her as he pulled a chair out for her. 

"You have eyebrows don't you? I can pull those out and any other hair on your body. And take it from someone who waxes and plucks - it's going to hurt. A lot." 

Lex leaned down and gave her a kiss on the side of her head. He stopped to whisper in her ear, "Promise?" 

Chloe rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "Go make yourself useful." 

Lex gave her a slight bow and turned to get into the buffet line. As soon as he turned away from Chloe, the smile slipped from his face and his eyes sought out Michael Aarons. _The stupid bastard. _Lex seethed inside and wondered how else the evening could get any worse than meeting a reporter from the nastiest tabloid in Metropolis. Lex went over to the buffet table, picked up two plates, and stood in line. He turned to the side so that he could look at Chloe. 

There were several people seated at the table and even more standing and talking to her. Chloe was smiling and nodding her head, but Lex could tell she was uncomfortable. Chloe glanced over at him and the look on her face made him laugh. _She looks like she being interrogated. _That made Lex laugh even harder, which caused others to turn and stare at him. He gave the staring people a blithe smile and quickly made his way through the buffet line.   
Michael Aarons watched Lex Luthor go through the buffet and then take the plates back to the table. Aarons sneered as Luthor played court to his lady. Aarons excused himself from the table and went over to a quiet corner. He pulled out his cell phone and used speed dial to make a phone call. 

"Erik? This is Michael. Yeah, I've got a job for you. Listen carefully and when you're done with this job, bring me the proofs. This is a career making sort of job, buddy. Trust me, it's worth skipping out on dinner with your wife."   


  
***  
  
  


"I swear to god, I did not know half of the people that came up to me tonight and claimed friendship." Chloe whispered to Lex as they danced slowly around the dance floor. Dinner had ended a while ago and most of the other guests had left, but Lex and Chloe had taken advantage of the dancing in the main dining room of the restaurant. 

Lex looked down at her and responded in a serious tone of voice. "That's what happens when people find out you're closely associated with a Luthor." 

Chloe leaned her head against his chest. "I know. You've told me that this would happen. I just didn't realize it would be like that. I mean, I know some of those people and they've never acted like that before." 

Lex stopped in the middle of the dance floor; he looked into Chloe's eyes and frowned a little. "Chloe, people hear the name 'Luthor' and it seems that intelligence just seems to fly out the window. Everyone is your friend or your enemy. People are going think that they can use you to get to me. A lot of people are not going to approve of our relationship. Even our friends. You need to understand that, Chloe; if you don't think you can handle that, I need to know now." 

Chloe shook her head and thought of how distant Clark had become since had found out about their relationship. "Lex, I don't believe you said that. I lo -" Chloe broke off and then started again. "Lex, I really and truly do care for you. I can handle anything you throw at me. I'm not going to run in the other direction just because some trouble comes up." _Oh my god, I nearly told him I love him. _Chloe was confused suddenly. _It was the first I wanted to say. Can it be true? _

Lex caught the slip and felt as though his heart was going to explode. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to being with someone who doesn't enjoy the limelight associated with dating me or hates it all completely." 

"I know. I just...I don't know how to put it into words." Chloe whispered, feeling embarrassed. 

"I know exactly what you mean. I really do." Lex leaned down and gave her a long passionate kiss. 

Erik Matthews watched the dancing couple and quietly took a picture. He zoomed in closer when they stopped on the dance floor. Erik recognized Lex Luthor, but he didn't know who the girl was, but his guess was that she wasn't a relative of Luthor's. He whistled lowly when the two exchanged a deep urgent kiss. _Nope, definitely not a relative._

He put his camera in it's case and walked away from the shrubbery hidden alcove he had been hiding in. He nodded to the Maitre d and as he walked by the portly man, he slipped a fifty into his hand. Erik Smiled. "See you next time." 

  
  
***

Lex and Chloe walked through the narrow dark hallway to Chloe's apartment. They were holding hands and Lex was carrying Chloe's shoes in his free hand. 

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Chloe asked, an ever so slight note of hopefulness in her voice. 

Lex tightened his grip on her hand. "No, it was actually rather pleasant."

They reached Chloe's door and she dug around in her small purse for the key. She opened the door and turned around to look at him. "Thank you for tonight. I know this hasn't been easy you..." Lex cut her off with a kiss. 

"Chloe...just being with you is like a breath of fresh air when you've been stuck in an airtight room for a couple of hours." _You're the best thing in my life right now._ Lex pulled her close and rested his chin on the top of her head. 

Chloe licked her lips and blinked at the cracking paint on the walls of the hallway. The overhead light flickered briefly and she took a deep breath.   
"Lex, would you like to stay the night?" She shut her eyes as soon as the words left her mouth. Even though Lex spent whole days with her and stayed late into the night, he had never stayed the whole night. 

Lex stepped away from Chloe and looked her straight in the eyes. "Chloe, I don't want you to think that you should obligated to...have me stay the night."   
  
"I don't feel obligated to do anything. I'm only going to do what I want, and right now, I want you to stay with me tonight." Chloe grabbed his hand and then backed into her apartment slowly. 

***  
  


Chloe's bedroom was dark as she led him into it. She set her bag on the vanity chair and took her shoes from him and put them in the closet. She turned on a lamp that didn't do much more than cast shadows on everything.   
  
Lex had never been in her bedroom. That was one area of the small apartment he had always been careful to avoid. Lex was used to women tripping over themselves to get into bed with them and he greatly respected Chloe's belief that sex belonged in a marriage. It was the reason why he felt so uncomfortable now. "Chloe, I don't think this is such a good idea." 

Chloe was digging around in her dresser. "You don't think what is a good idea?" She asked distracted.

"This. This whole thing of me being here in your bedroom." 

Chloe found what she was looking for and walked over to him. She pushed him down where he was sitting on the bed. "Lex. Just relax. And put this on." She shoved a bundle of clothes at him and stepped away. She smiled down at him. "I'm going to go change in the bathroom. I have a new toothbrush you can use too." 

Lex watched with his mouth hung open just a little as she left the room with her pajamas. He looked down; he shook out the bundle of clothes. He frowned at them. A pair of boxers with hearts all over them and an oversized tee-shirt with an giant print of Elvis on it. His eye twitched. "Chloe, I am not wearing Elvis!" He yelled after her. He heard her laughter and quickly started taking off his clothes. 

***  


  
Chloe was cradled in Lex's arms. The two of them were in Chloe's small twin-sized bed, with Lex propped up against the headboard and Chloe resting in his arms. The only light in the room came from the tiny window in the corner and because her window faced another building, it was not a great amount. Chloe ran her hands up and down his arms. "This is nice."

Lex smiled and hugged her tighter to his bare chest. He had refused to put on the Elvis tee-shirt and Chloe hadn't argued. The two of them had been sitting there for more than three hours just talking, sitting quietly, and occasionally, Lex suspected, Chloe drifted off to sleep. Lex couldn't sleep though; it wasn't because he was uncomfortable, indeed, he was more relaxed than he had been in a very long time. _I'm afraid that if I go to sleep, I'm going to wake up and find that it's just been a dream. A very good dream, but a dream all the same. _

Lex looked over at the clock sitting on her nightstand next to her phone. The bright green numbers told him it was nearly four in the morning. "Hey, you awake?" He asked Chloe in a hushed whisper. There was no response except a soft snore. He kissed the top of her head and leaned his head against the wall and stared at the window, wiling sleep to come. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  


  
"Lex. Lex. Wake up." 

Lex awoke with a start and jerked around to see who it was speaking to him. He relaxed as soon as he saw Gabe Sullivan standing there. "Gabe, sorry, I must have fallen asleep." Lex stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and looked at the clock on the wall. "Shit. I've been sleeping for three hours. I need to go check on Chloe." Lex started to head out of the room, but Gabe stopped him. 

"I've just come from there, Lex. The nurses tell me there's no change in her condition." Gabe paused. "We need to talk Lex." 

Lex stopped and looked down at Alex's sleeping form. If it hadn't been for the various medical equipment hooked up to his son, Lex would have swore Alex was just napping after a tiring afternoon playing with his brother. He looked back at Gabe. "I don't know what to do, Gabe." Lex slid back into the chair. "My family is in danger and I can't do anything to help them. I've already lost one of them... Oh my god, Connor." Lex covered his face with his hands. 

"Lex, I know you have to be thinking right now that this is somehow your fault or Chloe's fault, but it isn't. There was nothing that could be done..." Gabe stopped and wiped the tears from his eyes. Gabe put his hand on Lex's shoulder and squeezed it. 

Lex felt Gabe's hand, but he kept staring at the floor. _My son is dead. My wife is in a coma. Why can't I cry?_ "Gabe, I appreciate this, but I know it isn't my fault. Or Chloe's fault." _No, the blame lays fully with that bastard Clark Kent. _


	6. Awakenings, and Good Ol' Fashion Revenge

Title: The Sum Of Everything - Chapter 6

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I own Lex. He is currently giving me a foot rub and offering to move my furniture around shirtless. Oh wait, that was my dream from a few weeks ago. *Sigh* Oh well. Obviously I don't own anything related to Smallville or Superman. 

Author's Notes: Been a while, no? Not that anyone is bothering with this any more... Anyway, this chapter is short. 

Feedback: I am a slut for feedback. 

MSN IM: Starchaster17

AIM: Naahmah1984 

Gabe Sullivan rubbed his eyes wearily and stood up from the uncomfortable chair he had been sitting in for more than three hours. He looked down at his daughter and gave a sigh. _I need to move around a little bit._ Gabe stretched and left the room, going next door to where Lex had Alex moved, so that he could be near both of them at all times. Gabe entered the room and gently laid a hand on Lex's shoulder. Lex didn't seem to notice; he was simply staring at his son. "I was going to get a snack from the vending machine, did you want anything?" Lex shook his head. "Okay, I just wanted to check." 

Gabe patted Lex's shoulder and left the room, heading towards the vending machines. Gabe walked through the double doors and passed through several hallways before he finally arrived in the alcove where they stuck the vending machines. He stuck his hand in his pocket and jostled the change around in there. Right as he did so, he felt his cell phone, and he pulled it out to see if anyone had called. He turned it on and the phone beeped at him several times, alerting him that there were messages waiting for him. He sighed and turned the phone off, not wanting to return any phone calls. 

Elsewhere... 

Clark Kent stared at the phone in his parent's home, willing it to ring. "Why hasn't Gabe returned the calls?" 

Martha Kent patted her son on the shoulder as she walked past him. "Sweetheart, he'll call. You need to understand that this is extremely difficult for him." 

Clark frowned. "I know, but I want to know how Chloe and the kids are doing, and with the way Lex was acting...I don't think he's going to tell me." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Six Years and Six Months Ago

Chloe crept slowly out of her bed, trying to not disturb Lex. She grabbed her robe and quietly exited her bedroom. She padded into her kitchen and started making herself some coffee. 

"Hey." 

Chloe turned around quickly to see Lex standing there in her atrocious heart covered boxer shorts. She relaxed. "Sorry, you startled me. I didn't hear you get up." Lex nodded and leaned against the counter. 

"I woke up when you left." 

"You're probably used to huge soft beds with silk sheets, not a twin sized bed with cotton sheets." She smiled and moved about the kitchen making coffee. __

_Actually, the bed felt huge and empty without you there._ "I'll get used to it." He shrugged. 

Chloe quirked an eyebrow at him, "And what makes you think you'll be in it again?" 

Lex walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I happen to know that you simply cannot resist me, and therefore, will be inviting me back many times." 

Chloe snorted and turned in his arms so that she could face him. "You have an awfully high opinion of yourself. Irresistible, eh?" 

"Utterly and totally irresistible." 

"Well, Mr. Luthor, absolutely no one is irresistible to me when I haven't had my morning coffee." Lex laughed and released her. "You could be the president of Coffee-holics anonymous." 

"What a horrible idea! I'd have to give up coffee to do that!" Chloe gave him a horrified look and went back to making her coffee. "Would you go get the papers?" 

Lex nodded and headed out of the kitchen, towards the front door. He opened the door and stepped out just enough to grab the papers laying around the doorstep. _Good grief, I don't even read this many papers everyday._ He shut the door behind him and carried the arm load of papers into the kitchen. He dumped them onto the cabinet and started digging through them. He finally found the Wall Street Journal and sat down at the table with it. 

Chloe set the coffee pot, two mugs, sugar, and cream on the table and grabbed the Daily Planet off the top of the stack of newspapers. She poured herself a cup of coffee and settled down to enjoy her newspaper. 

Lex sat his paper down and took a sip of his coffee. He glanced around the kitchen, his eyes resting on Chloe reading her paper. Lex felt his stomach rumble with hunger and he pushed away from the table. He started searching through Chloe's cabinets and fridge. 

"Cereal is in the cabinet above the fridge." Chloe's voice came out from behind her paper. 

"Thanks." Lex opened the cabinet door and stared at the boxes of cereal. _Sugar Puffs. Choco-puffs. Lucky Charms. _"Do you actually eat anything for breakfast that doesn't have sugar or candy in it?" 

"Sometimes I eat French Toast." 

"How do you pick your breakfast foods? Do you only buy it if it has a cartoon character on the box?" 

"Actually, I look to see what kind of toy it has, too." Lex laughed and pulled her up from the table. "Let's get dressed and go somewhere to eat." 

"You buying, Mr. Luthor?" 

"Somehow, I doubt it'll cause me to file for bankruptcy if I buy you breakfast, Ms. Sullivan." 

Chloe smiled. "Well, then shall we get dressed?" 

***

Chloe and Lex walked hand in hand down to the diner near her apartment. The weather outside was humid but sunny and a strong wind. 

"Of all the places I could possibly take you, you choose the greasy diner at the corner. You know, last time we went there there was a roach floating in the toilet." 

"I told you that some of the waitresses were drug users and not to use the bathroom, but you didn't listen to me." 

Lex looked down at her, and he realized she was trying not to grin. "Wrong sort of roach, Chlo." Chloe laughed in a carefree sort of way that made him grin like an idiot. 

They reached the diner quickly and walked into the small establishment. Everyone looked up as the bell above the door jingled. 

***

Elsewhere in Metropolis - 

Lionel Luthor was not a man to cross. Everyone who worked for LuthorCorp knew it and they also knew that when Mr. Luthor came in the office on a Saturday, there was trouble. 

Especially when Mr. Luthor was looking for Lex; even more trouble when Lex didn't answer his phone at his pent house or his cell phone. Lionel sat at his desk, with his chair facing the window. His office had the best view in all of Metropolis, but Lionel wasn't paying attention to the stunning view. He swiveled around to his desk and picked up the manila folder setting on his desk. He flipped it open and looked through the pictures Michael Aarons had been kind enough to send him before he had them printed in The Inquisitor. Lionel snorted. _Kind enough once I gave five thousand dollars. _Lionel knew it was worth the five thousand though; it was just what he needed to bring Lex to his knees. Lionel picked up his phone once more and hit the speed dial for Lex's cell phone. Once again he got the voice mail. 

"Alexander, I realize it is a Saturday and you are no doubt busy with your new girlfriend - what is her name? Oh yes, Chloe Sullivan - but you do need to come to my office." Lionel smiled at his reflection in the highly polished desk. "Oh and bring the lovely young Miss Sullivan. I'm sure we'll have plenty to discuss." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Lex had nearly dozed off once again, back to his dreams of making Clark Kent feel the same sort of pain he was feeling, but was awakened by the small whimpering sounds coming from his son. Lex sat up quickly and took his son's hand. "Alex? It's daddy, how you feeling?" 

Alex's whimpering turned into sniffles and he opened his eyes. "Daddy." Alex barely managed to croak out. 

Lex smiled at his son and brushed the hair off of his face. "I'm right here, Alex."


End file.
